Papal Cream Cake

“Kremówka” from Vatican City

INGREDIENTS

For the Puff Pastry:

2 sheets of ready-made puff pastry

Powdered sugar for dusting

For the custard filling:

1 liter whole milk (slightly less than 4 1/4 cups), divided

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons corn starch

5 large egg yolks

1 cup room-temperature butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or one small packet of

vanilla sugar

A pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare puff pastry to specifications on the package.
2. Bake and cool, ripping the large puff in half. You need a top and a bottom for this recipe. Docking your pastry (pricking it in several places) with a fork is important to keep the puff pastry from over-puffing.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine 3 1/4 cups of milk with egg yolk, sugar, salt and vanilla. Bring to simmer.
4. In another bowl, slowly add flour and corn starch to the remaining milk.
5. Slowly add cornstarch mixture to egg mixture. Do not let boil. Whisk over medium-low heat until the custard tightens up, about 10 minutes.
6. Remove thick custard from bowl and let cool. Once cooled, whisk in your room temperature butter with a mixer.
7. Take one half of the puff pastry, cover with a heaping amount of the custard, then sandwich between each puff pastry half.
8. Put in fridge to set four to six hours or overnight.
9. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Enjoy your homemade Kremóka, a delightful treat with a rich history and a connection to the beloved Saint PopeJohn Paul II.

This recipe was submitted by Betty Noyh, parishioner at St. Charles Parish in Boardman.

THE CATHOLIC KITCHEN

A reflection from Monsignor John Zuraw, diocesan vicar general and pastor at St. Charles Borromeo and St. Luke Parishes in Boardman.

One of my all-time favorite desserts is the Kremówka that I experienced in Krakow, Poland, when I visited several years ago. A little research told me that Kremówka Papieska, or “Papal Cream Cake,” became famous when Saint Pope John Paul II reminisced about the pastry from a bakery in his hometown of Wadowice. This pastry cream sandwiched between two layers of puff pastry is
very similar to the French Napoleon.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us we feel happier after treating ourselves to a tasty treat. Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Eating desserts in moderation can help you relieve stress. All throughout the Gospels, Jesus addressed the fear, worry and anxiety that those around Him were experiencing. However, He didn’t just do this to bring comfort to those experiencing the effects of anxiety or stress—He challenged those He encountered to understand the spiritual significance of their stress and anxiety. Our brains’ responses are most influenced by our hearts and our values—our thinking and action reflect the spiritual condition of our hearts.

Jesus taught us to examine our stress as clues into who we worship or what we worship. In conversations with Jesus, His questions often exposed the values and thinking that were causing fear, anxiety and stress. His goal was never to shame those who honestly sought Him, but rather His questions were an invitation to trust in Him and He would provide.

So, enjoy your stress-free Papal Cream Cake. Smacznego (Enjoy your dessert)!

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